Was that person saved in the first place?

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English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating...
English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Matthew 13:47-48 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Matthew 13:47–50. When people abandon Christ, they prove that they never had faith at all, since those with true faith are preserved by God, never to fall away permanently (1 John 2:19). Still, when we see people leave Jesus, it does not necessarily mean there is no hope for them. Only God knows the state of a person’s heart, and He may be pleased to bring one who has backslidden back into His fold. That is why we must never cease praying for those who have left the church.

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